Clinical Imaging
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 53-56 , January 2010

Systemic air embolism detected during percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy: report of two cases and a proposal for a routine postprocedure computed tomography scan of the aorto-cardiac region

Received 15 March 2009 ,Accepted 9 April 2009.

References 

  1. Sinner WN. Complications of percutaneous transthoracic needle aspiration biopsy. Acta Radiol Diagn (Stockh). 1976;17:813–828
  2. Richardson CM, Pointon KS, Manhire AR, Macfarlane JT. Percutaneous lung biopsies: a survey of UK practice based on 5444 biopsies. Br J Radiol. 2002;75:731–735
  3. Tomiyama N, Yasuhara Y, Nakajima Y, Adachi S, Arai Y, Kusumoto M, et al. CT-guided needle biopsy of lung lesions: a survey of severe complication based on 9783 biopsies in Japan. Eur J Radiol. 2006;59:60–64
  4. Westcott JL. Air embolism complicating percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung. Chest. 1973;63:108–110
  5. Aberle DR, Gamsu G, Golden JA. Fatal systemic arterial air embolism following lung needle aspiration. Radiology. 1987;165:351–353
  6. Cianci P, Posin JP, Shimshak PR, Singzon J. Air embolism complicating percutaneous thin needle biopsy of lung. Chest. 1987;92:749–751
  7. Tolly TL, Feldmeier JE, Czarnecki D. Air embolism complicating percutaneous lung biopsy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1988;150:555–556
  8. Regge D, Gallo T, Galli J, Bertinetti A, Gallino C, Scappaticci E. Systemic arterial air embolism and tension pneumothorax: two complications of transthoracic percutaneous thin-needle biopsy in the same patient. Eur Radiol. 1997;7:173–175
  9. Arnold BW, Zwiebel WJ. Percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy complicated by air embolism. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2002;178:1400–1402
  10. Mokhlesi B, Ansaarie I, Bader M, Tareen M, Boatman J. Coronary artery air embolism complicating a CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung. Chest. 2002;121:993–996
  11. Mansour A, AbdelRaouf S, Qandeel M, Swaidan M. Acute coronary artery air embolism following CT-guided lung biopsy. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2005;28:131–134
  12. Ashizawa K, Watanabe H, Morooka H, Hayashi K. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for air embolism complicating CT-guided needle biopsy of the lung. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2004;182:1606–1607
  13. Lattin G, O'Brien W, McCrary B, Kearney P, Gover D. Massive systemic air embolism treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy following CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy of a pulmonary nodule. J Vasc Interv Radiol. 2006;17:1355–1358
  14. Khalil A, Pregent H, Parrot A, Carette MF. Systemic air embolism complicating percutaneous transthoracic needle biopsy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2006;187:W242–W243
  15. Tomabechi M, Kato K, Sone M, Ehara S, Sekimura K, Kizawa T, et al. Cerebral air embolism treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy following percutaneous transthoracic computed tomography-guided needle biopsy of the lung. Radiat Med. 2008;26:379–383
  16. Hirasawa S, Hirasawa H, Taketomi-Takahashi A, Morita H, Tsushima Y, Amanuma M, et al. Air embolism detected during computed tomography fluoroscopically guided transthoracic needle biopsy. Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2008;31:219–221
  17. Hiraki T, Fujiwara H, Sakurai J, Iguchi T, Gobara H, Tajiri N, et al. Nonfatal systemic air embolism complicating percutaneous CT-guided transthoracic needle biopsy: four cases from a single institution. Chest. 2007;132:684–690
  18. Muth CM, Shank ES. Gas embolism. N Engl J Med. 2000;342:476–482
  19. Tibbles PM, Edelsberg JS. Hyperbaric-oxygen therapy. N Engl J Med. 1996;334:1642–1648

PII: S0899-7071(09)00111-9

doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2009.05.001

Clinical Imaging
Volume 34, Issue 1 , Pages 53-56 , January 2010